# When to pull "seasoning" Bovedas



## MaxG (Jan 2, 2016)

Hello all. 

I'm seasoning a new humidor. This is day 9. I have 84% Bovedas in there moistening things up. Yesterday I was at 72%. Today I'm at 78%.

I know the Boveda website says 2 weeks and I'm ok (although I'm getting the shakes) waiting that long, but is it really necessary?

When does it have all the "seasoning" it needs, and how do I go about getting it to a happy 65-70%? 

I'm thinking pull the 85's, wait(?) till RH gets to around 70, then load with lower RH Bovedas or gel puck, some of my tupperdor cigars, and watch closely.

Any thoughts?


thanks!

MG


----------



## Champagne InHand (Sep 14, 2015)

After 2 weeks. Be patient. I did this with 72% Bovedas but did a wipe down with PG solution and let it rest in my 70%+ wine cellar. Now I'm using various method from 65% Boveda in my cc tupperdor to Xikar crystals and even the standard floral foam. I have an Accu-Rite hygrometer/thermometer in every place. Sub $10 on Amazon with big digital readout. So much better than the small circular ones for around $20 from China. 


What shall we have? An '82 Margaux! Is it any good? Good....?, It will make you believe in God!


----------



## Cigary (Oct 19, 2007)

There is a host of threads we have here that are dedicated to this issue. The simple method is the one most overlooked . People get so anxious ridden when we talk about seasoning with DW and a piece of cloth. Taking a rag and SLIGHTLY moisten it to then wiping it down gently. ..how does that translate to saturating it and leaving puddles? 

Now we have those who want to leave a bunch of Bovedas...PG solutions. .floral foams and gels....because of so many articles about "how to season humidors " with the added bonus of using active AND passive together to reach desired RH...then adding the humidifed cigars into the equation. ...then all of a sudden the RH goes squirrelly. ...gee...can't understand why?

Let's not combine every methodology known when it comes to seasoning. It's either Passive or Active...passive takes time...active can be done in 48 hours for our normal sized humidors as porous wood will accept LIGHT seasoning. ..not heavy. Simply saying...season LIGHTLY then leave it open overnight. ...stick your hygrometer in there for a few hours...check the RH numbers until it stabilizes at an acceptable RH...then add your Bovedas and cigars. If you want to use KL then it's even easier. ..enough info to explain that process 

Let's try to keep things simple...instead of what takes place everyday in life philosophy.. ...if 2 aspirin takes care of my headache. ..4 aspirin must be better. ...keep things simple and not complicate the recipe.


----------



## MaxG (Jan 2, 2016)

Good advice. I'll (try to) make it the full two weeks. I have a box + of special cigars on the way and my tupperdor will not hold them all. Old news to all of us. 

At the end of that period, I'm thinking I need to let it sit humidifier-less until it gets down to around 70% and then let the regular humidifier do its magic. I'm feared of putting sticks in a 80%+ humidor and letting the humidifier (hopefully) bring it down. My tupperdor is at a perfect level, though slightly elevated recently from adding some new sticks. I won't put the top tier sticks in the wood humidor until I'm satisfied I've got a stable, safe environment, but I'm really not anticipating any difficulties from here on out. Who knows? I may still pull the current Bovedas and swing for the fences. I've read other posts that say once a new empty humi has reached 70%, there's no need to continue the seasoning. Don't know. That's why I asked. 

Yes, I could've wiped it down and not lost sleep over it. I did this in my past cigar life with a much larger humidor, with no ill effects. But I committed to a different path this time. Between getting great deals on sampler packs and picking up my favored vitolas, my inventory is growing like proverbial weeds. I can always start a new tupperdor with minimal effort and near-zero prep time to store my stash till the humi is happy and stable. But I get a thrill opening the wood humi and smelling the inside, even without cigars, that cannot be approached by a tupperdor, let alone duplicated.


- MG


----------



## Rondo (Sep 9, 2015)

Don't worry about your sticks, Max. 
Get your box right first. 
Put your babies in a ziplock with a 65% Boveda or two if you want. 

Take a few deep breaths, say the Cigarenity prayer, call your sponsor.


----------



## MaxG (Jan 2, 2016)

Rondo said:


> Don't worry about your sticks, Max.
> Get your box right first.
> Put your babies in a ziplock with a 65% Boveda or two if you want.
> 
> Take a few deep breaths, say the Cigarenity prayer, call your sponsor.


Thank you, brother. I tend to obsess. :laugh2:

- MG


----------



## WIEisME (May 13, 2009)

Also depending if your special box came from a trusted source you may consider freezing them, then slowly adapting them into your humidor... This will give you added time to season your humidor correctly and not to rush into things only to have to start all over.


----------



## demuths1770 (Jan 2, 2014)

MaxG said:


> Hello all.
> 
> I'm seasoning a new humidor. This is day 9. I have 84% Bovedas in there moistening things up. Yesterday I was at 72%. Today I'm at 78%.
> 
> ...


your gonna wait the full 2 weeks. remember your hygrometer is only reading the humidity in the air not the % of humidity the Spanish cedar has absorbed. i used boveda packs on a 100 ct i got for Christmas and to be honest it is still sitting right now three weeks after i started the process (most because of a busy work week and a few events i went to) but my packs are close to dry now so i am gonna pull them out and toss in some 62% boveda and let come down some for a few days and than add sticks. i can do a little write on on how boveda works and what all i did than since it seems there is no actual seasoning write up using boveda


----------



## MaxG (Jan 2, 2016)

demuths1770 said:


> your gonna wait the full 2 weeks. remember your hygrometer is only reading the humidity in the air not the % of humidity the Spanish cedar has absorbed. i used boveda packs on a 100 ct i got for Christmas and to be honest it is still sitting right now three weeks after i started the process (most because of a busy work week and a few events i went to) but my packs are close to dry now so i am gonna pull them out and toss in some 62% boveda and let come down some for a few days and than add sticks. i can do a little write on on how boveda works and what all i did than since it seems there is no actual seasoning write up using boveda


I get what you're saying about air RH vs. fully seasoned wood, but how do you know when the wood has all the moisture it will hold, and therefore it's time to stabilize in the desired range?

I am interested in your tutorial on how Boveda works. Does it use PG? It seems like it must to be a two-way humidification device. If so, it would also seem there would be a limit on how many times it can be recharged. Is it just beads in a gas-porous bag?

Looking forward to learning more. 

- MG


----------



## drunktoad (Dec 19, 2015)

Champagne InHand said:


> After 2 weeks. Be patient. I did this with 72% Bovedas but did a wipe down with PG solution and let it rest in my 70%+ wine cellar. Now I'm using various method from 65% Boveda in my cc tupperdor to Xikar crystals and even the standard floral foam. I have an Accu-Rite hygrometer/thermometer in every place. Sub $10 on Amazon with big digital readout. So much better than the small circular ones for around $20 from China.
> 
> What shall we have? An '82 Margaux! Is it any good? Good....?, It will make you believe in God!


is this the one you speak of?

http://www.amazon.ca/AcuRite-613-Indoor-Humidity-Monitor/dp/B0013BKDO8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452999557&sr=8-1&keywords=acurite+hygrometer


----------



## MaxG (Jan 2, 2016)

drunktoad said:


> is this the one you speak of?
> 
> http://www.amazon.ca/AcuRite-613-In...1452999557&sr=8-1&keywords=acurite+hygrometer


I looked this up as well. I would've gladly and swiftly ordered several save for the fact that it appears to be unadjustable. My "cheap, Chinese" hygrometer was within 1 point of perfect out of the box, and quite easy to adjust to perfection after the salt test. When an adjustable hygrometer can be had for a few dollars more, I can't see the wisdom in buying one you have to keep track of how far it's off.

- MG


----------



## drunktoad (Dec 19, 2015)

MaxG said:


> I looked this up as well. I would've gladly and swiftly ordered several save for the fact that it appears to be unadjustable. My "cheap, Chinese" hygrometer was within 1 point of perfect out of the box, and quite easy to adjust to perfection after the salt test. When an adjustable hygrometer can be had for a few dollars more, I can't see the wisdom in buying one you have to keep track of how far it's off.
> 
> - MG


makes sense. I'm with two digital hygro's at the moment that are both off, one being -6 and the other -4 . It makes you worry sometimes if they're off again since their last salt tests&#8230;


----------



## UBC03 (Nov 18, 2015)

MaxG said:


> I can't see the wisdom in buying one you have to keep track of how far it's off.
> 
> - MG


I put a piece of masking tape on the side w a + or - the the adjustment number.


----------



## Champagne InHand (Sep 14, 2015)

That's the hygrometer but that's seriously over priced. I bought 3 under $10US off Amazon. I have had one for a couple of years that has sat on the floor of my wine cellar as I have an analog thermometer hygrometer nailed to the wall at the 6' level. They are extremely reliable and I wouldn't sweat a degree off. I hadn't seen any variation and I had these recommended by wine cellar people and wine makers alike. Extremely reliable. It has a clip with magnet on back or you can just take the entire clip off. 



What shall we have? An '82 Margaux! Is it any good? Good....?, It will make you believe in God!


----------



## Champagne InHand (Sep 14, 2015)

MaxG said:


> I get what you're saying about air RH vs. fully seasoned wood, but how do you know when the wood has all the moisture it will hold, and therefore it's time to stabilize in the desired range?
> 
> I am interested in your tutorial on how Boveda works. Does it use PG? It seems like it must to be a two-way humidification device. If so, it would also seem there would be a limit on how many times it can be recharged. Is it just beads in a gas-porous bag?
> 
> ...


I'm sure that you can go to YouTube to see some video on Boveda. They have been talked about at nauseum on the cigar threads and almost every cigar maker recommends them.

They are two way as in putting out and absorbing. They use some kind of vapor that has anti fungal properties even better than PG solutions. They can e recharged but I find that cumbersome.

Either way if you do the full 2+ weeks then you can put in some 65% Boveda and let it sit for a well and see how it looks with hygro or you can use some other method. Kiln dried wood has almost no moisture to it so it definitely soaks up some moisture over the two weeks. Just as boxes do in bigger tupperdors. The wood is a stabilizing factor. I think a lot has to do with the style of humidor too. Some have just thin sheets of Spanish red cedar lining other wood while others are mostly Spanish red cedar with thin wood veneer on the exterior that get glossed up. Mine are the kind that like most cigar boxes are mostly red cedar. The pretty mahogany is nice but doesn't have the same properties as red cedar.

Best of luck. I would search the many threads as they will have untold information. It's what I did 4-5 months back then again as I maxed out capacity and bought more and more tupperdors.

What shall we have? An '82 Margaux! Is it any good? Good....?, It will make you believe in God!


----------



## Steve C. (Jun 16, 2015)

I just won another 5 square silver Zederkoff digitals from Cigar Bid. $7.00 ea. + $6. total for shipping. $40-$50. ea. retail. CBid has them all the time. Even got a few before for $5.00 ea. Very good hygros.


----------



## Champagne InHand (Sep 14, 2015)

Nice Steve C. I think popping a hygro into every one of your containers is a good idea. I still enjoy the mechanical ones but only if verified by the many digitalis. 


What shall we have? An '82 Margaux! Is it any good? Good....?, It will make you believe in God!


----------



## demuths1770 (Jan 2, 2014)

MaxG said:


> I get what you're saying about air RH vs. fully seasoned wood, but how do you know when the wood has all the moisture it will hold, and therefore it's time to stabilize in the desired range?
> 
> I am interested in your tutorial on how Boveda works. Does it use PG? It seems like it must to be a two-way humidification device. If so, it would also seem there would be a limit on how many times it can be recharged. Is it just beads in a gas-porous bag?
> 
> ...


I really don't know when to tell when the wood has absorbed all it can take to be honest. I went 3 weeks and it leveled off at 80% for just around two weeks.I pulled the packs last night and they where just starting to get hard which is how they where last week so I would guess it leveled off. Depending on what the rh looks like when I get home I may put cigars in it tonight. I will definitely do a write up on seasoning with boveda. Boveda is a two way humidifier that can be recharged. I have not had any issues with my recharge pack because usually over the short winter months the are used to raise humidity an the spring summer and fall they are absorbing moister


----------



## demuths1770 (Jan 2, 2014)

Boveda humidor seasoning - Puff Cigar Discussion Forums


----------



## KenF13 (Jan 29, 2016)

I went over 2 weeks with seasoning packs and was super happy with the results. Stuck 25 sticks in my cheap humi and its holding well. It hard to wait, but that seasoning time is just too important to rush.


----------



## Champagne InHand (Sep 14, 2015)

Nice glad it worked out for you. Patience is a hard lesson to learn. Glad it came out for the best. 


What shall we have? An '82 Margaux! Is it any good? Good....?, It will make you believe in God!


----------

